One hundred years ago, some women in the UK won the right to vote but a global benchmark – the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report – suggests gender parity is still more than 200 years away.
This International Women’s Day campaign #PressforProgress strives to close the gap and address some of the key issues still affecting women in the 21st century.
The annual awareness day, which was started by the Suffragettes in 1911, is both a global celebration of inspirational women and important achievements, as well as a chance to campaign for equal rights.
In 2018 it continues to be a powerful platform for action guided by values including hope, justice,
tenacity, dignity, respect and equality.
A Carlisle woman, believed to be the world’s youngest commercial airline captain, is keen to make young girls and women aware that her job is for anyone.
Kate McWilliams took to the skies as part of an all-female crew to mark International Women’s Day. She captained the four-cabin crew and first officer on the easyJet flight from London to Madrid.
The 27-year-old described having an all-female crew as “really significant” as only around one in 20 pilots are women.
She said: “Aviation is one of the few industries that hasn’t really caught up with other professions that were male-dominated, but are now pretty 50/50 such as medicine and law.
“Aviation is still less than five per cent women so events like today make youngsters aware that it’s a job for anyone.”
Miss McWilliams believes the reason for the small proportion of female pilots is a lack of role models.
IWD leaders have said: “While we know that gender parity won’t happen overnight, the good news is that across the world, women
are making positive gains day by day.
“Plus, there’s a very strong and growing global movement of advocacy, activism and support.
“We can’t be complacent. Now, more than ever, there’s a strong call to action to press forward and progress gender parity. A strong call to #PressforProgress. A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.”
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